Commodity packet



Jan. 30, 1968 D. A. SANNI COMMODITY PACKET Original Filed June 27, 1966 FIG.|

FIG. 2

INVENTOR DOMINIC A. SANNI ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,366,229 COMMODITY PACKET Dominic A. Sanni, Medfield, Mass, assignor to Flexible Container Corp., Medfield, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Continuation of application Ser. No. 560,662, June 27, 1966. This application July 3, 1967, Ser. No. 652,400 8 Claims. (Cl. 20656) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A packet containing a particulate commodity and comprising two opposite walls that overlap at one end, with one wall having one or more discharge openings that are concealed by an overlapping portion of the other wall that is adapted to function as a tear tab.

This application is a continuation of my copending application Ser. No. 560,662, filed June 27, 1966 for Commodity Packet.

This invention relates to single service packets and more particularly to packets of the type containing an individual portion of a commodity in particle form such as salt or pepper.

The object of this invention is to provide a novel packet adapted to dispense its particulate contents through flow control orifices when shaken by the user, and more particularly to provide a packet that constitutes an improvement over packets of the type disclosed in my prior U.S. Patent 2,918,168.

Described briefly packets of the type disclosed in my prior U.S. patent consist of opposite walls joined at their edges and including at one end a concealed inner pleat whose folds may be separated to expose a plurality of small delivery holes through which the contents, e.g., salt and pepper, may be dispensed by shaking. This patented construction offers controlled dispensing, the small delivery holes limiting free pouring of the contents so that a user cannot inadvertently dispense more than he desires of the particulate contents. While this form of packet constitutes a material advance over prior constructions and lends itself well to mass production, it has several limitations. For one thing, the concealed inner pleat occupies a substantial amount of space and thereby reduces the capacity of the packet. A second limitation is that an adhesive must be used on at least one fold of the pleat to hold the latter closed until the packet is to be opened. This requirement of an adhesive may be met by applying it to the packaging material in the course of fabricating the packet or by employing a web of packaging material that is coated on both sides with a heat-sealing material such as polyethylene. The first approach requires an adhesive applicator on the packaging machine, while the second approach requires a more costly packaging material. Other packets containing the same type of contents suffer from still other limitations, such as excessive cost and poor dispensing action.

Accordingly, the primary object of this invention is to provide a shaker-type packet that substantially avoids the foregoing limitations. As described in detail below, the present invention provides a substantially flat packet comprising first and second sheets of packaging material, the first sheet having one or more discharge openings located at one end of the packet and the second sheet having a portion thereof overlying and concealing the discharge openings. The portion of the second sheet overlying the discharge openings is adapted to function as a tear tab for opening the packet to expose the dis- 3,366,226 Patented Jan. 30, 1968 charge openings. In addition to avoiding or minimizing the limitations noted above, this new shaker packet lends itself to mass production on inexpensive packaging machinery and may be made from a variety of packaging materials.

Other objects of the invention will be obvious hereinafter.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially along line 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale of the packaging material used to make the packet.

The product illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is in the form of a substantially flat, substantially rectangular packet 2 and comprises rear and front panels fabricated from two sheets of like flexible packaging material 4 and 6 respectively. Each is a laminate, consisting of outer paper backing 8 and an inner thermoplastic coating 10. The thermoplastic coatings of the two sheets are welded together at the bottom end to form a transversely extending end seal 12. At the upper end of the packet the two sheets are bent back, so that the front sheet 6 has an end section 14 extending down along the inner side of the back sheet 4 and the latter has an end section 16 overlying and extending down along the outer side of the front sheet 6. The front sheet 6 is provided with several small holes 17 located along the line where it is folded back to form end section 14. In essence holes 17 are located at the upper end of the packet but are concealed by the overlying portion of back sheet 4.

The two sheets are secured together along their sides by longitudinally extending side seals 18 and 20. In this connection it is to be noted that from the end seal 12 to the level of the end edge of the end sections 14 and 16 the side seals involve two layers of packaging material and are formed by welding together the thermoplastic coatings of both sheets. However, for their remaining portions the side seals involve four rather than two layers of packaging material and are produced by adhesion of the thermoplastic coating of each sheet to the uncoated side of the other sheet.

In addition to end seal 12 and side seals 18 and 20, the two sheets are secured together by two additional transversely-extending seals 22 and 24. Seal 22 seals the end section 14- of the front sheet to the back sheet while seal 24 seals the end section 16 of the back sheet to the front sheet. Both seals are spaced from the fold line of the two sheets, i.e., spaced from holes 17. Both seals are made by adhesion of the thermoplastic coating of the back sheet with the uncoated side of the front sheet 6. Seal 24 is intended as a temporary seal while seal 22 is intended as a permanent seal. Accordingly seal 24 is relatively narrow as shown so as to facilitate its rupture when end section 16 is manually pulled away from the front sheet. Seal 22 also may be narrow, but preferably it is substantially wider as shown so as to resist rupture when the packet is opened in the manner described below.

The seals 22 and 24 coact with side seals 18 and 20 and end seal 12 to provide a continuous hermetic seal that prevents escape of the particulate contents represented at 26 in FIG. 2. So long as the side seals 18 and 20 and also seals 22 and 24 remain intact, holes 17 remain concealed by the overlying portion of the back sheet. The latter effectively blocks holes 17 so that the contents of the packet cannot escape. In the event a few small grains of the commodity in the packet actually do pass through the holes while the latter are covered by the back sheet, they still will not escape but will be trapped by the side seals and seal 22 and 24.

It is to be noted that the end edge 28 of end section 16 is free between the side seals 18 and 20. When it is desired to open the packet, the user merely grips the free edge of end section 16 and pulls it up away from the front sheet. As this is done it will tear away from its sealed side edges and rupture seal 24 so that holes 17 will be exposed. Thereafter the user needs merely to invert the packet and shake it to discharge the particulate contents. To facilitate opening the packet it is preferred to make two edge slits 30 and 32 in the end section 16 so as to form a centrally located tear tab 34. These slits preferably extend up close to but just short of seal 24 as shown in FIG. 1. Without slits 30 and 32 the end edge 28 of end section 16 is under tension and tends to lie fiat against the front sheet. The slits relieve the tension so that tab 34 is easy to grab and pull to rupture seal 24. The tab may be completely torn off or may be folded over the back sheet 4 to expose discharge opening 17.

While the above-described packet is intended primarily for particulate food commodities such as salt or pepper, it may contain other particulate materials such as powdered sulfa drugs or foot powder and may even be filled with a liquid commodity. In the latter event it may be desirable to replace the small holes 17 with a single large delivery hole.

It also is to be understood that the packet may be made from a large variety of conventional thermoplastic-coated packaging materials, such as metal foil, cellophane, glassine, kraft paper, etc. Furthermore the packet need not be made of two sheets. Instead it may be made from a single sheet folded in half, with one half corresponding to rear sheet 4 and the other half corresponding to front sheet 6. This alternative construction eliminates end seal 12. It is contemplated that this alternative form of packet would be formed around a hollow commodity delivery tube in a manner well known in the art, e.g., as taught by US. Patent 2,248,471, issued July 8, 1964, to I. H. Stroop for Packaging Method and Machine.

It is to be understood also that the holes 17 in front sheet 6 need not be located precisely along the line where the front sheet is folded back to form end section 14, but may be located to one side or the other of the fold line, preferably between the fold line and seal 24. As a further modification, seal 22 may extend from the bottom edge of end section 14 up to just short of the aforesaid fold line in front sheet 6, and may even extend through the fold line if the dispensing holes 17 are located between the fold line and seal 24.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts specifically described or illustrated, and that within the scope of the appended claims, it may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described cr illustrated.

I claim:

1. A packet containing a commodity and formed of sheet packaging material, said packet comprising mutually confronting panels joined to each other at their corresponding side edges and also at one end, each panel at the end opposite said one end being folded back with one panel having a first end section overlapping the outer surface of the other panel and the other panel having a second corresponding end section engaging the inner surface of said one panel, said other panel having at least one dis charge opening at said opposite end covered by said one panel, said end sections being sealed to said panels on opposite sides of said at least one discharge opening with said first end section having a portion thereof that is free of said other panel so as to be a tear tab for opening said packet to expose said at least one discharge opening.

2. A packet as defined by claim 1 wherein each panel is formed from a separate sheet of packaging material.

3. A packet as defined by claim 1 wherein said sheet packaging material has a thermoplastic coating on one surface thereof, and further wherein said seals are formed by said thermosplastic coatings.

4. A packet containing a commodity and comprising a pair or rectangular mutally confronting sheets of flexible packaging material poined to each other along two opposite side edges and also at one end edge, each Sheet at the end opposite said one end being folded back with one sheet overlapping the outer surface of the other sheet and said other sheet engaging the inner surface of said one sheet, said other sheet having at least one discharge opening for said commodity covered by the overlapping portion of said one sheet, said sheets being joined to each other by transversely extending seals on opposite sides of said at least one discharge opening so as to prevent escape of said commodity, the end edge of said one sheet at said opposite end having a portion thereof that is free of said other sheet so that a section of said one sheet at said opposite end can function as a tear tab for opening said packet to expose said at least one discharge opening.

5. A packet containing a commodity and comprising a pair of rectangular mutually confronting sheets of flexible packaging material joined to each other along two opposite side edges and also at one end edge, each sheet at the end opposite said one end being folded back with one sheet overlapping the outer surface of the other sheet and said other sheet engaging the inner surface of said one sheet, said other sheet having at least one discharge opening for said commodity covered by the overlapping portion of said one sheet, said sheets being joined to each other by transversely extending seals on opposite sides of said at least one discharge opening so as to prevent escape of said commodity, the end edge of said one sheet at said opposite end having a portion thereof that is free of said other sheet and is slit so that a section of said one sheet including said free portion of said end edge forms a tear tab for opening said packet to expose said at least one discharge opening.

6. A packet containing a commodity and comprising a pair of rectangular mutually confronting sheets of flexible packaging material joined to each other along two opposite side edges and also at one end edge, each sheet near the end thereof opposite said one end edge being folded back with one sheet overlapping the outer surface of the other sheet and said other sheet engaging the inner surface of said one sheet, said other sheet having at least one discharge opening for said commodity covered by the overlapping portion of said one sheet, said sheets being joined to each other by seals extending transversely of said side edges on opposite sides of said at least one discharge opening so as to prevent escape of said commodity, the end edge of the folded back overlapping end of said one sheet having a portion thereof that is free of said other sheet and is slit at two spaced points so that a section of said folded back overlapping end including said free portion of its end edge forms a tear tab for opening said packet to expose said at least one discharge opening.

7. A packet containing a commodity and comprising a pair of rectangular mutually confronting sheets of flexible packaging material joined to each other along two opposite side edges and also at one end edge, each sheet at the end of said packet opposite said one end being folded back with one sheet overlapping the outer surface of the other sheet and said other sheet engaging the inner surface of said one sheet, said other sheet having in the region Where it is folded back at least one discharge opening for said commodity covered by the overlapping portion of said one sheet, said sheets being joined to each other by transversely extending seals on opposite sides of said at least one discharge opening so as to prevent escape of said commodity, the end edge of said one sheet at said opposite end having a portion thereof that is free of said other sheet so that a section of said one sheet including said free portion of said end edge forms a tear tab for opening said packet to expose said at least one discharge opening.

8. A packet containing a commodity and comprising a pair of rectangular mutually confronting sheets of flexible packaging material, each sheet comprising first and second side edges and first and second end edges, said sheets joined to each other along said first and second side edges and also along said first end edges, each sheet at the end of said packet opposite said first end edges being folded back with one sheet overlapping the outer surface of the other sheet and said other sheet engaging the inner surface of said one sheet, and the second end edge of said one sheet terminating short of said first end edges, said other sheet having in the region where it is folded back at least one discharge opening for said commodity covered by the overlapping portion of said one sheet, said sheets being joined to each other by transversely extending seals on opposite sides of said at least one discharge opening so as to prevent escape of said commodity, one of said transversely extending seals being located so that at least a portion of the second end edge of said one sheet is free of said other sheet and is slit at at least one point so that a section of said one sheet including the free portion of its second end edge forms a tear tab for opening said packet to expose said at least one discharge opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 506,982 10/ 1893 Diamond 229-7 1,123,010 12/ 1914 Richardson 22917 2,969,905 1/1961 Braun 229-17 3,313,473 4/ 196-7 Witters 206-56 WILLIAM T. DD(SON, JR., Primary Examiner. 

